Winn-Dixie opening more remodeled stores in South Florida

The remodeled Winn-Dixie grocery store in Davie is unlike any Winn-Dixie store South Florida has seen before.

The Jacksonville-based grocer completely remodeled the 60,000-square-foot store, adding a specialty cheese department, expanded wine and produce sections, new salad, pizza and pasta bars, and wider, easier-to-navigate aisles. Although the store on State Road 84 near Hiatus Road never closed, it looks nothing like the store did when it opened almost 12 years ago, said Randy Rambo, the regional vice president of Winn-Dixie for the south division.

"There are a lot of neighborhoods and families in Davie, which is why we chose to invest in this store," Rambo said.

Several stands with fresh produce, which employees call the farmer's market, line the sidewalks outside the entry.

Outside, the store has an updated, glass facade. The store will host a grand opening on Wednesday at 6-7:30 p.m.

A specialty cheese department, with more than 120 different cheese options is near the expanded wine section. Shoppers can purchase fresh olive oil at the cheese department, where employees mix aged balsamic vinaigrette and oil at the counter. Customers buy the $12.99 glass bottle once and pay a reduced fee for refills.

"When we first opened the store in Margate, we heard from a lot of people that the store looked something more like a Whole Foods," Rambo said. "The difference is that we still offer the same great Winn-Dixie value."

The Davie location's features make it stand out among stores that Winn-Dixie has recently remodeled. Since it transformed its Margate location in 2010, Winn-Dixie has opened a remodeled store in Miami, and plans to open three more in South Florida in the coming weeks. A Winn-Dixie in Miramar will open next week, and another in Hallandale Beach will open in mid-June.

The merger between Winn-Dixie and Bi-Lo, a North Carolina-based grocer, will not affect the company's plans to expand and remodel stores, Rambo said.

"The Margate store was a home run for us," said Donald Durham, the store director for the Davie location. "We took what worked there and added even more new features here."

These new features include a full-time sushi chef, pizza, pasta and salad bars, custom cake stations and a cafe with free Wi-Fi, plush seating and a TV.

Amy Cory, from Davie, has been a Winn-Dixie shopper for 12 years and is thrilled with the new store.

"I've never been a Whole Foods shopper," she said. "But this store is great. It's beautiful."

Jenn Gains, a mother from Davie, stopped at the Winn-Dixie store for the first time Monday.

"This doesn't look like any Winn-Dixie I've been in before," she said.